PRESS RELEASE

January 19, 2010

Contact: Beth Porter, eporter@larche.ca

L’Arche Canada is proud to join Education Alberta in announcing the launch of a new Online high school Social Studies Resource on Jean Vanier:

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/ssjv/index.html
(no login or password is required)

The resource, titled “Jean Vanier: A Canadian Inspiring the World,” gives ready access to some of the best thinking of this acclaimed social visionary, humanitarian and founder of the L’Arche movement. “We are thrilled to make this material available,” says Alberta Education’s Curriculum Manager, Karen LaRone. The resource was developed by the Program Development and Standards Division, Alberta Education and is delivered via the LearnAlberta.ca Web site.

The resource addresses specific outcomes of the Alberta Ministry of Education senior high Social Studies curriculum, but it will also be of interest to K-12 teachers and many other educators and ordinary citizens. It includes

• The “On Becoming Human” kit (audio excerpts from Vanier’s CBC Massey Lectures and related study materials)
• Most of the acclaimed Windborne Productions film “Belonging: The Search for Acceptance” and highly praised study guide.
• Vanier’s specially videotaped response to certain curriculum-related questions
• A short bio of Jean Vanier
• Alberta curriculum Learning Outcomes related to this material

The study materials were co-written and packaged by educators associated with L’Arche Canada’s Educational Initiatives function, as part of L’Arche’s commitment to helping build a society where everyone belongs. “L’Arche Canada is pleased that these materials will now be widely available,” says Joe Egan, L’Arche Canada’s Vice National Director

L’Arche was founded by Jean Vanier in 1964. In L’Arche, people with and without intellectual disabilities share life together and build mutually enriching relationships.

L’Arche Canada is part of the International Federation of L’Arche, which exists in 37 countries around the globe. We anticipate that educators in many of these countries will be eager to access this new resource.